Behavioral Health Support Specialist-Family Support Specialist

La Clinica Del Valle•Medford, OR

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Behavioral Health Support Specialist/Family Support Specialist (BHSS/FSS) is a core member of La Clinica’s school-based health center behavioral health team. Working in partnership with Behavioral Health Clinicians and other care team members, the specialist provides skills training, teaching, mentoring, care coordination, and individualized support to children and youth. The position also works with parents, caregivers, and legal guardians to provide peer support, education, advocacy, and help accessing community services and supports. In the Family Support Specialist capacity, this trained peer professional provides strengths-based, one-on-one support to families navigating mental health, behavioral health, or child-serving systems. The role draws on relevant lived experience, including experience parenting a child who is or was a consumer of mental health or addiction treatment, or who has faced barriers to education, health, or wellness services due to mental or behavioral health needs. Applicants who meet the criteria but are not yet certified must complete FSS training and certification within 90 days of employment. The position supports individualized treatment plans and client-identified goals; coordinates with families, clinicians, primary care teams, school staff, and community partners; and documents care and engagement in EPIC. It uses motivational interviewing, trauma-informed practices, standardized screenings, safety planning, and Feedback Informed Treatment (FIT) tools to guide and improve services. The role includes regular supervision, team meetings, required training, and maintaining applicable professional certifications. This is a full-time hourly position working 43 weeks per year. The role is based in school clinics and is assigned to multiple school sites. Reliable transportation and accessible phone service are required. The work may be fast-paced and moderately loud, and may take place in classrooms, lunchrooms, playgrounds, or other school areas. La Clinica workforce members must follow current policies regarding masking and mandatory immunization.

Requirements

High school diploma.
Three to five years of experience in the social services field.
Register for or be working toward Qualified Mental Health Associate (QMHA-R) certification within 30 days of employment and maintain certification while employed.
FSS certification at the time of hire or within 90 days of employment.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team and perform essential duties satisfactorily.
Ability to interact with people at various levels under stressful circumstances while exercising sound judgment, tact, and diplomacy.
Clear verbal and written communication skills, strong listening skills, and the ability to communicate with groups and individuals.
Flexibility and adaptability in a fast-paced primary care or dental care setting.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret complex documents, regulations, policies, and procedures and create professional business documents.
Ability to understand confidential document security from a legal perspective and effectively deal with abstract and concrete variables.
Reliable transportation to travel between assigned school sites and accessible phone service.
Compliance with current La Clinica policies regarding masking and mandatory immunization.

Nice To Haves

Certification in health coaching, alcohol and drug counseling, family support, or another health or behavioral health-related area.
Excellent interpersonal communication and problem-solving skills.
Ability to intervene and promote reconciliation, compromise, and positive outcomes in difficult interactions.
Skill using electronic health records such as EPIC or Wisdom.
Bachelor’s degree in health education, health promotion, psychology, or social work.
Bilingual English/Spanish skills.

Responsibilities

Maintain regular, consistent, and punctual attendance and be available onsite during the assigned schedule or the assigned site’s normal business hours.
Help formulate and carry out individual treatment plans in partnership with Behavioral Health Clinicians, primary care providers, nursing staff, school personnel, and community partners.
Document patient care in EPIC and follow workflows for capturing activities and meeting client and family engagement standards under the APCM program.
Help clients and families identify self-management goals and develop customized plans and action steps with the Behavioral Health Clinician.
Provide ongoing in-person or telephone follow-up to support client-identified goals and help clients and families access treatment, medical, educational, and other services.
Collaborate with children, families, clinicians, and school staff to build understanding of issues and behaviors affecting the child.
Help caregivers and children practice skills to reduce specific behaviors, increase social skills, and improve caregiver-child relationships.
Use motivational interviewing and trauma-informed practices to assess readiness for change and engage clients and families in care.
Support clients, families, and the care team in identifying and advocating for internal or external referrals and additional services.
Coordinate and communicate care needs with clients, families, service partners, and primary care team members to support holistic care plans.
Advocate for or support families navigating systems when requested.
Attend biweekly supervision with a Behavioral Health Clinician and/or BH Clinical Lead.
Maintain clear, concise documentation within scope of practice and in accordance with organizational policies.
Conduct or support health screenings, including PHQ, SBIRT, and SDOH screenings, and provide interventions as appropriate.
Screen and intervene when a person is at risk for suicide or domestic violence; create safety plans and consult and collaborate with Behavioral Health Clinicians on interventions and referrals.
Administer standardized FIT tools, such as ORS and SRS, at the beginning and end of every clinical session.
Review real-time outcome data to identify at-risk cases and adjust interventions; use client feedback to identify and repair therapeutic alliance ruptures and align treatment with client goals and preferences.
Incorporate FIT data and client feedback into progress notes and accurately enter feedback scores into OpenFIT immediately following each session.
Use FIT data in individual and group supervision, monitor personal effectiveness benchmarks, and maintain an open, non-defensive approach to feedback.
Contribute to a team culture of feedback by sharing successes and challenges derived from FIT data during clinical staff meetings.
Complete required orientation training within six months of hire and complete annual mandatory and role-based competencies.
Participate in care team huddles, discipline-specific team meetings, and monthly case consultation meetings.
Register and maintain active QMHA certification with MHACBO; when indicated, register as a CADC through MHACBO or as an FSS through the OHA Traditional Health Worker Registry, and complete required continuing education.
Actively seek real-time feedback from clients and families about the effectiveness of services.
Perform other duties as assigned.